Water supply tank for concrete mixers



April'fi, 1943. a. JAEGER WATER SUPPLY TANK FOR CONCRETE MIXERS FiledJuly 50, 1940 Patented Apr. 6, 1943 WATER SUPPLY TANKFOR CONCRETE MIXERSGebhard Jaeger, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The JaegerMachine Company,Columbus, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application July 30, 1940, SerialNo..348,526

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a water supply tank.

for concrete mixers. Ithas-to-do, more particularly, with a controlsystem for controlling the iiow-=of water from the tank into the mixer.

This invention is particularly applicable to that type of water supplytank and measuring tank for concrete mixers which is disclosed in UnitedStatesLetters- Patent of Clarence I. Bohmen and Arthur-E. Davis, No.-2,191-,4 19; February One of: the objects ofmy invention is toprovidea-simplevalve control system for controlling t'heflow of waterfromthe tank to the'mixer.

Anothercbject ofmyinvention is to provide a valve-control systemforoperating a plurality of'valveswhichis of suchanature that all thevalves may beoperated from a single point in an easy and 'eificientmanner.

Another'object of my invention is to-provide a booster associated withthe tank and the various valves for forcing the watergwithdrawn fromthetank through the valves; into the mixer under pressure; thebooster beingof such anature that it, will permit by-passing of the water into themixer when not in operation.

Another object of my-invention' is to providea valve control system.and-booster oi the type indicated-which are, associated with eachotherand form a single unit'thatmay be readily removedfrom the tank forreplacement of parts.

Various other objects; will be apparent from the following description.

In the device shown in said'Patent-No. 2,191,- 419, three valves areshown for controlling the flow of water from the tank into the mixer.One of'these valves is employed forallowin-gthe main supply of water ina predetermined amount to flow into. the mixer; The amount suppliedisdetermined by adjustment of;a syphon device. Another valve is provided"for allowing tempering water'to flow into the mixer. That is,.this valvepermits a small amount of additional water to flow into the mixer, ifneeded, after the said predetermined" amount is supplied. The other:valve is associated with a wash-water compartment, formed, in the tank,and may be operated to permit" wash-water to enter the mixer after themixed" material has been discharged;

f The present invention relates to a control-system for these variousvalves. According to this invention I? provide a simple control, systemby whichthe various valves may beoperated from a single point with ease.I also provide a booster associated with. the control. system forreceiving the water allowed to, emerge from the tank by operationof' anyof said valves and for forcing this water under pressure into the mixer.The valve control system and booster are associated together as a singleunit which may be readily applied to or removed from the tank.

v The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein similar characters of reference designate,corre sponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section andpartly in side elevation,showing, a water tank; with my invention associated therewith.

Figure 2. is a View partly in perspective and partly in: section of the.control systemwhich I provide.

Figure 3 is an end view, partly broken away, of the structure shown inFigure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating how the water tank, havingmy invention associated therewith, is disposed. on a mixer.

With reference to the drawing, in Figure I have illustrated a watersupply tank I. This tank is adapted to. be mounted adjacent to themixing drum to be supplied with water, as illus tratedin Figure i. As.described in said Patent No. 2,191,419, the tank is provided with avertical partition 3 for dividing the tank into a main. compartment 3and a wash-water compartment 5. A syphon device 6 of the type disclosedin said patent isprovided for withdrawing a predetermined amount ofwater'from the compartment i This water leaves the tank through a valveopening 'I in the bottom of the tank. A'valve opening 8 is provided forwithdrawing .tempering water from the compartment 4. A third' valveopening 9 is provided for withdrawing wash-water from the compartment 5.

I provide a longitudinally extending tube [0 below the tank. This tubeI0 is provided with three upstanding tubular inlets l I which areconnected to the tank! in association with the openings 1, 8 and 9. Theupper end of each of the inlet members H has a peripheral flange I2formed thereon which is bolted to the tank by means of bolts I 3, agasket l4 being provided be-' tween the flange and the tank to. preventleakage. 4 Each valve opening 1, 8. and 9. is under the control of valvemechanism indicated by the numerals la, 8a and 9a, respectively.

Each of these mechanisms consists of a piston type valve member l5,which tightly fits within the cooperating member II and is adapted tomove vertically therein. The member l5 has a depending guide structurel6, in the form of a framework, which also fits tightly Within themember H and serves to guide themember I15 particularly when it is movedupwardly out of the member H. The guide structure It has a depending pinii on its lower end. A compression spring It has its lower end disposedin the cup-shaped upper side of the valve member ii. The upper end ofthis spring bears against a plate l9. This piate I9 has lugs 26 on itsopposite ends which fit into oppositely directed notches formed in theupper ends of a pair of supports 2!. These supports 2| are carried bythe flange l2 and are diametrically opposed. The force of the spring [8will normally hold the plate [9 in position. .However, in order toremove the plate 19, it is merely necessary to rotate it in the properdirection so that the lugs will swing out of the notches in the members2|.

Thus, the spring l8 may be readily removed and replaced. The spring I8normally tends to force the valve member l5 downwardly. It will beunderstood that when the member I5 is downwardly within the member I,the valve opening will be closed. However, if the member I5 is movedupwardly so that it is disposed above the upper end of member I l andthe guide por tion 16 is still in member H, the valve opening will beopened to permit passage of water therethrough.

In order to operate these valves, I provide the following structure. Ashaft 22 extends longitudinally through the tube HI. This shaft isrotatably mounted in a bearing 23 in one end of the tube and in a sleeve24 disposed at the other end of the tube. This sleeve. 24 will rotatein. a bearing 25 disposed in the end of tube in and on the shaft 22. Theshaft 22 has keyed thereon a cam lb and a cam 817. Thes cams willcontact with the pins I! of the valve operating mechanisms la and 8a.The sleeve 24 carries on its inner end a cam 91) which is adapted tocontact with pin H of the valve operating mechanism 911. The sleeve 24has a handle lever 26 keyed on its outer end by means of which it may berotated. The shaft 22 has a handle lever 21 keyed on its outer end bymeans of which it may be rotated. A disc member 28 is disposed on theouter end of the tube It] and is associated with handle members 26 and21, as indicated. Pins 29 and 30 on the disc limit movement of thehandle 26 which controls the wash-water v'alve mechanism 9a. The pin 30and an additional pin 3| control movement of the handle 21 whichcontrols the main water supply valve mechanism 1a and the temperingwater supply valve mechanism 8a.

The cams lband 8b. are so disposed relative to each other that when the{handle 21 is rotated from the intermediate point, indicated in Figure3, towards the pin 3|, the valve mechanism la will be operated to openthe valve, and when the handle is rotated towards the pin 35, the valvemechanism 8a will be operated to open the valve. These two valves may beoperated independently of the valve mechanism 901.. The valve mechanismBa'is operated merely by moving handle 26 between the pins 29 and 30.

An outlet portion 32-leads from the bottom of tube ll). This outlet isconnected to a booster housing 33. This booster housing 33 incloses arotatable member, 34 which carries a suitable blade or vane that tendsto force the water downwardly. The blade is preferably helicallyarranged. This member 34 is driven by a shaft 35 which may be connectedto any suitable source of power preferably the transmission 35a (Figure4) of the mixer drum rotating mechanism. The member 34 is of such anature and fits in housing 33 with clearances so that it will permit afree flow of water past it, even if it is not rotating. The dischargeline 36 of the booster is connected to a pipe 3'! which extends axiallyinto themixer drum and which may'carry a water distributing device 38.This device 38 may be of the type disclosed in my co-pending application201,250, filed April 11, 1938, Patent 2,225,374.

It will be apparent that all of the water which flows from the tankthrough the openings 1, 8 and 9 will enter into the tube It. This waterwill then flow through the outlet 32. The booster will force the waterunder pressure through the discharge pipe 36 into the pipe 31.

It will be apparent from the above description that my invention has anumber of advantages.

. I provide a simple and efficient valve control system for controllingthe flow of water from the tank to the mixer. All of the valves may beselectively operated from a single point with ease. Furthermore, thebooster which I provide will force the water, leaving the tank throughthe various valve controlled openings, into the mixer. If the boosterbecomes inoperative for any reason, for example failure of the source ofpower, iihe water can still flow past the booster into the mixer. Mydevice constitutes a single unit which may be readily removed from thetank and replaced in order to renew certain parts.

Various other advantages will be apparent from the drawing and thefollowing claims.'

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: a

1. In combination with a water supply tank having a plurality ofoutlets, a housing connected to'all of said outlets, valve mechanism forcontrolling each of said outlets, said mechanism normally keeping thevalve closed, means for opening said valves, said means comprising arotatable shaft extending through said housing and carrying cams adaptedto engage some of said Valve mechanisms, a rotatable sleeve disposed onsaid shaft and carrying at least one cam adapted to engage one of saidvalve mechanisms, and means for rotating said shaft and said sleeveindependently of each other from a point outside of said housing.

2. In combination with a water supply tank having a plurality ofoutlets, a housing connected to all of said outlets, valve mechanism forcontrolling each of said outlets, said mechanism normally keeping thevalve closed, means for opening said valves, and means comprising arotatable shaft extending through said housing and carrying cams adaptedto engage some of said valve mechanisms, a rotatable sleeve disposed onsaid shaft and carrying at least one cam adapted to engage one of saidvalve mechanisms,

means for rotating said shaft and said sleeve independently of eachother from a point outside of said housing, said housing being providedwith an outlet, a booster housing connected to said outlet, and abooster disposed in said housing for forcing the water which leaves saidtank through said outlet to the point where it is to be used.

3; The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein the booster is of such anature that it will permit flow of water past it when it is notoperating.

4. In combination with a water supply tank having a plurality ofoutlets, a housing connected to all of said outlets, valve mechanism forcontrolling each of said outlets, means for operating said valvemechanisms, said means comprising a rotatable shaft extending throughsaid housing and carrying at least one cam adapted to engage one of saidvalve mechanisms, a rotatable sleeve disposed on said shaft and carryingat least one cam adapted to engage one of said valve mechanisms, andmeans for rotating said shaft and said sleeve independently of eachother from a point outside of said housing.

GEBHARD JAEGER;

